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John Losee Van Cott (1814-1883)
}} Overview article on Wikipedia John Van Cott and his wife joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He became well acquainted with Brigham Young. He traveled westward from the eastern United States to Utah several times, and leading an expedition of pioneers on one of those journeys. John was a Mormon pioneer who served a number of years as mission leader for the church in Scandinavia where many would join the Mormon church and migrate to Utah. He practiced plural marriage, having five wives. Biography Born 1814 Canaan, New York Baptized 1845 by Parley P. Pratt Occupation: Farmer, Legislator, General Authority(one of 7 Pres. of 70) Married Lucy Sachett; later practiced plural marriage; five wives; twenty-eight children Ordained Seventy 1847 President of Scandinavian Mission 1852-1856 Again President of Scandinavian Mission 1859-1862 First Council of Seventy 1862-1883 Died 1883 Salt Lake City, Utah John Van Cott, one of the First Seven Presidents of Seventies from 1862 to 1883, was born Sept. 7, 1814, in Canaan, Columbia county, New York. He was descended from the first settlers of Long Island, N. Y., who came from Holland in 1640, and had for ten generations back belonged to the nobility of Holland. His parents were Losee Van Cott and Lavina Pratt (uncle and aunt to Parley P. and Orson Pratt . John Van Cott was the only boy in the family, and when only ten years old his father died after an illness of seven years, leaving his widow and children surrounded with peace and plenty. John embraced the fulness of the gospel under the administration of his uncle, Parley P. Pratt , at Nauvoo, Ill., in September, 1845, twelve years after he first heard the gospel; his sister never joined the Church. On September 15, 1835 he married Lucy Sachett, a young lady of a very fine family, who also joined the Church. Together with his wife and mother, he left New York, Feb. 3, 1846, starting for Nauvoo, Illinois. While residing temporarily at Nauvoo in the home of Parley P. Pratt, he contributed $400 in gold to the Temple and also donated to the Church a number of lots which he had purchased in Nauvoo; he received his blessings in the Nauvoo Temple. In the fall of 1846 he left Nauvoo for Winter Quarters, where he spent the winter of 1846–47, having built a one-room log house. Here he became acquainted with Brigham Young , to whom he became greatly attached, their friendship culminating in the marriage of his daughter to the President. He was ordained a Seventy Feb. 25, 1847, by Joseph Young . In the summer of 1847 Elder Van Cott, together with his mother, wife and two children (Mary and Martha) left Winter Quarters for the West in Capt. Daniel Spencer's company; he fitted up an extra team and wagon which was driven by a hired man. In this wagon his daughter Martha, then about nine years old, rode across the plains. Bro. Van Cott and his family arrived in the Valley Sept. 25, 1847. Pres. Young sent Bro. Van Cott back to help into the Valley some of the saints, who were delayed on the journey. After his arrival in the Valley, Bro. Van Cott settled in what became known as the Farmer's Ward, on the corner of Tenth South street and West Temple street. In 1852, agreeable to call, he went on a mission to Europe, and after reaching England, he was sent to Scandinavia to succeed the late Willard Snow in the presidency of the Scandinavian mission. He presided in that capacity nearly four years, and returned to his mountain home in 1856, after a most successful ministry. After his return, he yielded obedience to the law of celestial marriage and took five wives, by whom he became the father of twenty-eight children. During the "Utah War," at the time of "The Move" in 1858, he was one of the men deputized to remain in Salt Lake City and set fire to the property, in case the soldiers on their arrival in the Valley should prove hostile. In 1859 he was called on a second mission to Scandinavia and again presided over the mission, this time about two and a half years. He returned home in 1862. On these two missions he became very much endeared to the Scandinavian Saints, whose sterling qualities and integrity he learned to appreciate. He also acquired the Danish language to a considerable degree of perfection. After his return home from his second foreign mission, he was chosen as one of the First Seven Presidents of Seventies, being first sustained in that capacity at the October conference, 1862. Soon afterwards he was called on a special mission to the Scandinavian Saints in Utah, and while laboring in that calling made his home temporarily in Sanpete county. He continued his labors among the Seventies with zeal and fidelity until his death, which occurred at his home a short distance south of Salt Lake City, Feb. 18, 1883, after a lingering illness of several months. In an obituary notice published in the Deseret News, the editor of that paper says: "It would be difficult to find a more exemplary or conscientious man than Brother Van Cott. He was a good man in the broad sense, not negatively so, but as a producer of' the good fruits of a well spent life. He was one of those whose character and motives appeared so far beyond reproach that we doubt if they have ever been the subject of even suspicion. * * * At home and abroad, whenever Brother Van Cott adjourned, he was regarded with esteem and regard, his very presence and appearance inspiring sentiments of that nature." BIOGRAPHY: LDS Biographical Encyclopedia, Andrew Jenson, Vol. 2, p.727 Van Cott, John (Vol. 1: 198), descended from the first settlers of Long Island, N. Y., who came from Holland in 1640, and had for ten generations back belonged to the nobility of Holland. His parents were Losee Van Cott and Lavina Pratt (uncle and aunt to Parley P. and Orson Pratt). John Van Cott was the only boy in the family, and when only ten years old his father died after an illness of seven years, leaving his widow and children surrounded with peace and plenty. Becoming a convert to "Mormonism" he was baptized in Nauvoo in 1844 or 1845, twelve years after he first heard the gospel; his sister never joined the Church. In 1835 (Sept. 15th) he married Lucy Sachett, a young lady of a very fine family, who also joined the Church. p.728 Together with his wife and mother, he left New York, Feb. 3, 1846, starting for Nauvoo, Illinois. While residing temporarily at Nauvoo in the home of Parley P. Pratt, he contributed $400 in gold to the Temple and also donated to the Church a number of lots which he had purchased in Nauvoo; he received his blessings in the Nauvoo Temple. In the fall of 1846 he left Nauvoo for Winter Quarters, where he spent the winter of 1846-47, having built a one-room log house. Here he became acquainted with Brigham Young, to whom he became greatly attached, their friendship terminating in the marriage of his daughter to the President. In the summer of 1847 Bro. Van Cott, together with his mother, wife and two children (Mary and Martha) left Winter Quarters for the West in Capt. Daniel Spencer's company; he fitted up an extra team and wagon which was driven by a hired man. In this wagon his daughter Martha, then about nine years old, rode across the plains. Bro. Van Cott and his family arrived in the Valley Sept. 25, 1847. Pres. Young sent Bro. Van Cott back to help into the Valley some of the saints, who were delayed on the journey. After his arrival in the Valley, Bro. Van Cott settled in what is now the Farmer's Ward, on the corner of Tenth South street and West Temple street. In 1852 he was called on a mission to England, but in 1853 he was transferred to Denmark as president of the Scandinavian Mission. After his return, he yielded obedience to the law of celestial marriage and took five wives, by whom he became the father of twenty-eight children. At the time of the move in 1858, he was one of the men deputized to remain in the city and set fire to the property, in case the soldiers on their arrival in the Valley should prove hostile. In 1859-62 he filled a second mission to Scandinavia and in 1862 he was chosen as one of the First Seven Presidents of Seventies. He also served as a member of the House of Representatives, a member of the Salt Lake city council, street supervisor and city marshal. He died Feb. 18, 1883, at his residence near Salt Lake City. Van Cott, John BIOGRAPHY: LDS Biographical Encyclopedia, Andrew Jenson, Vol. 4, p.374 Van Cott, John, president of the Scandinavian Mission from 1853 to 1856 and from 1860 to 1862. (See Bio. Ency., Vol. 1, p. 198, and Vol. 2, p. 727.) Encyclopedia of Mormonism, Vol.4, Appendix 1 BIOGRAPHY: VAN COTT, John. Encyclopedia of Mormonism, Vol.4, Appendix 1 Seventy, Oct. 8. 1862-Feb. 18, 1883; b. Sept. 7, 1814, Canaan, New York; d. Feb. 18, 1883, Salt Lake City, Utah; m. Lucy Sackett; practiced plural marriage, twenty-eight children on record; businessman, legislator, farmer. Descendants of Thomas Sackett Family Life Marriage to Lucy Sackett Lucy Lavina Sackett (1815-1902) - Married 15 Sep 1835 in Canaan, Columbia, New York USA # Martha Van Cott (1838-1907) - # Lucy Van Cott (1839-1843) - born 16 Dec 1839, Canaan, Columbia, New York, USA; died 9 September 1843 # Mary Van Cott (1844-1884) - md first to James Cobb and then second to Mormon Leader, Brigham Young (1801-1877). # John Losee Van Cott (1847-1851) - born 23 August 1847, Independence Rock, Wyoming; died 18 March 1851 # Fannie Van Cott (1850-1930) - # Byron Van Cott (1852-1853) - born 2 March 1852, Salt Lake City, Utah; died 19 November 1853 Marriage to Jemima Morris Jemima Morris (1831-1851); Married 2 May 1849 - died at time birth of first child. With Second Wife, Jemima Morris # Morris Van Cott (1851-1851) - born 14 March 1851, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; died 16 March 1851 Marriage to Laura Lund Laura Christine Petra Lund (1843-1913); Married 2 February 1857, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA With Third Wife Laura Lund #Waldemar Van Cott (1859-1940) #Frank Victor Van Cott (1863-1938) #Lucy May Van Cott (1869-1957) #Ernest Van Cott (1875-1924) Marriage to Caroline Pratt Caroline Amelia Pratt (1840-1915); Married 2 February 1857 - Daughter of John's cousin, Anson Pratt (1801-1849) With Fourth Wife Caroline Amelia Pratt #Orson Van Cott 21 Apr 1859 Salt Lake City - 8 May 1859 #Anson Van Cott born and died on 21 Apr 1859 Salt Lake City #Viola Van Cott (1860-1931) #Oscar Van Cott (1863-1955) #Marlon Van Cott (1867-1941) #Ray Van Cott (1869-1944) #Harold Van Cott (1873-1934) #Edith Van Cott (1875-1941) #Lovina Van Cott (1877-1964) Marriage to Caroline Erickson Caroline Erickson (1833-1901); Married 22 November 1862, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA With Fifth Wife Caroline Lena Cassia Erickson # Selma Van Cott (1863-1935) # Nephi Van Cott (1865-1865) #Albert Van Cott (1868-1959) #Olive Van Cott (1875-1935) #Enoch Van Cott (1878-1952) Vital Records 1850 US Federal Census Show Lavina living with the family of her famous son in the Salt Lake Valley. * John Vancott - m/36 - b:NY * Lucy Vancott - f/35 - b:NY * Martha Vancott - f/13 - b:NY * Mary Vancott - f/7 - b:NY * Fanny Vancott - f/1 - b:NY * Lovinia Vancott - f/64 - b:NY * Susannah Mott - f/20 - b:NY * Daniel Morris - m/13 - b:Wales * George Clyde - m/22 - b:NY * Franklin Obrian - m/17 - b:Ireland Family history * http://www.pratt-family.org/jared/other_brother_histories/list_caroline_pratt.html * Jared Pratt Immigrant Ancestors - Early New England Ancestors of John Losee Van Cott's uncle. References Ancestors of Alma Barker and Ruth Davis (). Descendants of Thomas Sackett (). Farmers Ward Records. SL library (1st floor). SL library (1st floor). Arthur D. Coleman, Pioneers of Utah (1969 (Nephi, see p.180),Published by J.). Hjo,Sweden Branch records. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Ancestral File ®, Copyright © 1987, June 1998, data as of 5 January 1998, Family History Library, 35 N West Temple Street, Salt Lake City, Utah 84150 USA. __SHOWFACTBOX__ Category:19th-century Mormon missionaries Category:American general authorities (LDS Church) Category:American Mormon missionaries in Denmark Category:American Mormon missionaries in Norway Category:American Mormon missionaries in Sweden Category:Burials at Salt Lake City Cemetery Category:Converts to Mormonism Category:Members of the Council of Fifty Category:Mission presidents (LDS Church) Category:Mormon pioneers Category:Presidents of the Seventy (LDS Church)